May 8, 2013

Blogs, or
web logs, are one of the fastest-growing means of mass communication.
Though blogs originally gained mainstream attention in the 2000's
through articles in prominent newspapers and magazines, several popular
weblogs now rival traditional media outlets in terms of readership, and,
arguably, cultural relevance. The "blogosphere" has affected elections
and corporate policy, and some blogs have millions of readers a day.
Moreover, they are fun to read, and writing them can be enjoyable, too.

Edit Steps

1

Choose what type of blog you want to create.
Carve out a niche and pick a catchy title that captures the essence of
your blog. Remember that a blog, like your clothes, is an extension of
you. For most people, your blog site may be the only thing they identify
you with and you want to be sure that who you are on the inside is
reflected in your blog.

2

Decide how often you are going to post.
Some claim that posting at least once every day is best. Some also say
that three quick posts a day are far more effective than one long post
every three days. Yet others still claim that, when they update a blog
every other day, they get more readers than when updating two or three
entries in a single day. Write whenever you want – it's the content that
matters! Whatever you do, remember that, for most bloggers, it's all
about reading, and many of them would prefer quality over quantity. Once
you get started, you'll find that you attract a certain readership, and
you may have to adjust how you work your journal to appease and keep
the readers you've obtained.

3

Get some things together beforehand.
Some recommend putting together about a month's worth of material
before you tell anyone about your blog. It is recommended that you just
start writing and fame will come in time. Feel free to go back and
rewrite entries to make everything just the way you want before or after
you "go public." You can edit any entry at any time with most blog
sites. Writing a popular blog doesn't happen overnight. The essence of
the blog stems from making journals which means the blog is FOR YOU.
Work it how you feel is most appropriate.

4

Tell close friends about your blog and ask them to tell their friends.
Often, if you use it as another way to network with people around you,
you'll get a better response. If you push it too hard, don't be
surprised if they ignore your blog, because they may feel you're fishing
for compliments and attention...remember, blogging is about you, and
the more attention you put into yourself, the more people are going to
notice.

5

Look around the Internet for blogs that people love to read.
Read and post to them religiously. Leave a note that actually has
something to do with their site so that they know you actually took the
time to pay attention to the material posted. Do not expect anything
back in return. Just commenting will cause others to be more likely to
visit your blog and do the same. Often, when you make comments to sites,
a link to your own personal site will already be included with your
comment, unless you are posting from one hosting site to the next. If
you're at ITW and you read a blog on Myspace, then it would be
appropriate to include such a link.

Edit Tips

Remember you can be anonymous to most of your readers. This is one
of the best aspects of blogging. No one has to know who you are! If you
prefer, you can even invent a blog personality to use. Nonetheless,
always consider that you should be nice and polite so everyone has a
handy-dandy time online.

For any new or advanced blogger, it would be wise to pay attention
to those English classes and look for ways outside of your blog to
expand your writing experience and expertise. Part of blogging is kind
of like writing for a newspaper. Remember to keep your blogs well
spaced, and if you can title them, be vague but attention-getting with
the titles.

There are different types of blogs, but the majority fall into these
three categories: personal/journal, collaborative (more than one
author), and topical (based on a particular subject or niche). There are
also photoblogs and link compilation blogs. Successful blogs find a
niche and stick with it. Is there some aspect of your life you're
burning to share? Are you an expert in some field of knowledge? Are you
obsessed with current events? Find your passion and your reason for
starting the blog, and go for it. Again the key is: it's for you; others will not be willing to read if they sense you're trying too hard to be popular.

If you blog on topical subjects, look for blogs and forums that
mention these topics and link your blog in a response. This is a very
effective way of exposing your work to new readers.

Do read the terms of use attentively before using the blog's
platform, once you start using the website; it will be considered that
you accept their terms of use and agree to adhere to a policy. IF YOU DO
NOT AGREE TO THEIR TERMS OF USE, DO NOT USE THE SITE.

HTML, the language used to design websites, is your friend. Learning
basic HTML is far easier than the foreign language you studied in high
school. The Help section of Blogger.com can teach you all the HTML you
need to learn in order to manipulate your site, add links in text and
anything else you need to make your site exactly the way you want it.

A personal blog is sometimes the hardest style to do. Even if you're
a brilliant writer and profoundly funny, you have to remember that
people who know you "IRL" (in real life) may be accessing your journal.
Some bloggers have found many quarrels have started because of
information that was published in a personal blog. The key to this is:
a) Only use first names if permission is given; if not, use the first initial of the person, and never
use last names. b) If the information you share may get someone into
trouble or hurt some feelings, then make the entry private (so only you
can read it) or don't post it at all. c) Remember that the blog is about
you, not about gossip or what your mother's uncle's baby's momma did to
the guy across the bar last week...we don't care, and I'm sure that
person doesn't want everyone on the world wide web to know either.

To be honest, no one really is going to care about your personal
life unless it is actually entertaining or they are your close friends.
Pick a target and roll with it. However, if you have something in your
personal life that screams for attention, do the world a favor and write
about it. Those who know you for your target topics will appreciate the
fact you have added a personal element to your blog, and those who know
you personally will join in the fun.

A good way to make a popular blog is to make other blogs popular.
That is, visit, read, and thoughtfully comment on other people's blogs.
On most blogger sites, a link to your own blog will be automatically
included in your comment. So the more blogs you post on, the more people
will be driven to visit your blog. Of course, don't just go on and post
one-word spam, because that might keep people away.

Linking to other established or authority websites is also a good
way to network and make yourself known in your niche, and other bloggers
to share the "link love" with people who link to their site.

Edit Warnings

Don't be rude when blogging because that will make you unpopular or
popular with rude people. You don't want rude bloggers or readers
participating in your site.

Granted, be rude if you want. Controversy often brings readers.

Be careful with your identity. It's so easy for someone to find you
through the net or to find those you talk about. Protect the people you
know and, unless they give you permission, don't use their names or
other personal information in a blog..

Don't post your blog link everywhere because it can actually seem rude if you appear extremely desperate to have visitors.